Coding Dojo

This review is for the Seattle location.
I had a lot of fun learning new languages alongside people with similar interests as me, and being able to learn things I’ve really been interested in but didn’t know where to start. Although we may have gone down different paths, and will continue to branch off, I won’t be able to forget the experience I had here, the relationships I made, the friends I met. I’m excited to use what I’ve learned to further myself and my life!
When I first heard about the bootcamp, I was excited that there was a form of education that seemed more like how I prefer to learn. I went through multiple stages of anxiety when applying, nervous that I wouldn’t be able to get in, nervous it wouldn’t be right, nervous I wouldn’t do well, nervous I wouldn’t fit in. But all my worries melted away when I stepped in the door for my first open house.
Coming into the dojo, everyone treats everyone like an old friend — we all shed that layer of fear, of judgement, and we all help each other push through all the struggles. More than anything, that was the most important thing to me.
I’ll never forget these past 3 months. And although we may part, I’ll always cherish everyone I’ve spent that time with.

I came to Coding Dojo trying to redefine myself, and it helped me do just that. I had a bit of experience programming before, but nothing formal, and most done on my own.
It’s not easy. If you don’t have the dedication to invest a sizable amount of time, you will not succeed. The amount of time people put into this program really shows in terms of ability and results. It’s supposed to be a struggle, but like their slogan says: strength through struggle. Even with my previous experience there were plenty of times that I just wanted to bang my head on the table. But the great thing about coming in every day and putting in a decent amount of time is having the TAs and instructors there to help you. It’s also great knowing that your cohort-​mates are also struggling with you; it shows that what you’re trying to achieve is not something just anyone can do.
It’s fun. I truly enjoyed myself here, and I’ve gained a number of good friends through my cohort and the instructors. I met a lot of different people and learned a lot not only through the platform but through them. There were times we didn’t get a lot of work done, but it was okay. Stay away from the ping pong table.
It’s rewarding. Seeing yourself build projects from scratch that you originally had no idea about and probably thought were close to witchcraft is incredibly satisfying. And when you look back at how far you’ve come, you’ll wonder why you ever doubted yourself to begin with.
This program IS for everyone. The instructors do a great job of not leaving anyone behind. I definitely would choose Coding Dojo over any other programming bootcamp.

If you are looking for a career change or want to be a better developer, I would definetly recommend Coding Dojo. Personally, Coding Dojo really changed my perception about coding. Today, I can code in any language and handle any framework. All thanks to my instructors who were very helpful and kept us motivated. Be it any time they would always be ready to help us.
Another great thing about Coding Dojo is the career services program that they started recently to help the new grads, is worth appreciation. They are really trying hard to get us opportunities.
Lastly, I would like to say, Coding dojo can help you 45−50%, the rest is what you make out of it and where you want to be. Have a clear goal and work hard, then you can make the most from the Bootcamp.

While working in the healthcare field for years, I had many «what if» moments about what life would have been like had I studied computer programming in college. As coding boot camps became more popular and I had friends who went through these programs, Coding Dojo opened up an opportunity to pursue my passions once again.
At first, I was a little skeptical about the program and whether it could really teach me enough skills to get a full time position as a web developer. Once classes started, I quickly understood how demanding this program was going to be. Most of my fellow classmates put in 12 – 15 hour days Monday through Friday and even some weekends. Although the program required much from the students in terms of assignments and curriculum, the instructors were always there to help guide and explain concepts. Being surrounded by other students also working diligently also helped provide a support system and motivation to keep at it.
Two things about Coding Dojo that I thought separated it from other boot camps were the 3 stack curriculum and sports day. Learning PHP, JavaScript, and Ruby helped expose us to all the different languages there are, but more importantly, showed us how easily one can pick up other coding languages. Sure, other programs spend 12 – 14 weeks teaching you only one language, but what I gained from Coding Dojo was the ability to teach myself through documentation and searching, which I find far more beneficial in the real world than becoming very skilled in one language. The other thing I enjoyed was the emphasis on sports day, taking 1 (or 2) days out of the week to get some exercise with fellow classmates for about an hour. Many argued about needing more time to program but when you’re staring at a screen for 12 hours a day, a little physical activity goes a long way in terms of mental sanity and motivation later in the day.
Overall, I definitely recommend Coding Dojo but know that you get as much out of the program as you put into it. It’s not easy but definitely manageable.

(Note: Prior to my Coding Dojo Experience, I had only taken a C++ course which I don’t really remember and didn’t really understand much because they were concepts and theory.)
Seattle Location:
This was a really rewarding experience for me. I definitely grew as a person and as a developer over our 14 week course. It was an amazing experience and I am glad I took a leap of faith in Coding Dojo and myself. I dropped everything, moved 1100 miles and learned a lot. I learned how to problem solve, I learned a lot about all the technologies in the industry and I learned a lot about myself. I really appreciate the connections I made throughout coding dojo and the friends I made in my cohort.
I took LAMP, MEAN, and Ruby on Rails and because Coding Dojo gave us the opportunity to learn 3 stacks, I got a feel for what languages I like. I’m excited to continue learning more on my own and Coding Dojo left me with a confidence that I can continue learning on my own and pick up new languages. The instructors were always there for us to answer our questions. And the career advisors are extremely helpful and care for every one of us.
Shoutout to Nikki B and Speros! Nikki is the best person ever! Funniest jokes. Much enthusiasm. So charismatic. And Speros: Awesome demos. Very helpful. Much friend. Wow.
[insert doge meme]

I had a great experience with Coding Dojo at their San Jose location. I had applied to several coding bootcamps, but made the decision to attend the Dojo based on location and price. I have no regrets!
The instructors and staff did a great job of welcoming us from the start. However, be known that this is a very hands-​off learning process. Do not expect to get an answer to a question whether the instructors know it or not. They are meant to help guide you and show you the proper way to learn to code and teach yourself to be a self-​sufficient developer.
My cohort went through PHP, MEAN, and Ruby on Rails. We were not given an option to choose which technology stacks we wanted to do, however I believe that has changed now. If given the option, I would have went with Python, MEAN, and iOS/​Ruby. There is not much demand in the job market for PHP, especially amongst startups. Python and Javascript are the two main languages that seem to be the most in demand by companies.
Make sure to study algorithms and take it seriously when the instructors do a daily algorithm. Studying that will be taking your first steps to becoming an engineer. Also, you get out what you put in; thus make sure you stay the full day and put in a full day’s effort. Do not get stressed if you fall behind the rest of the class, just try to focus and ask for help when needed.
A coding bootcamp is not for everyone… It is 12 weeks out of your life where you are spending a minimum of 10 – 12 hours a day at your computer or in class. Know what you are signing up for and make sure your family and loved ones know that you will not have much free time. Best of luck to everyone!

I started Coding Dojo with big hopes but not a ton of confidence. I thought «can I really learn three new stacks in three months?» I own a web development company and manage a team of developers who create powerful web and marketing applications for our clients. I have an MIS degree and a lot of experience managing coding projects, designing websites in Joomla/​Wordpress and editing code but I had never created a web application from scratch; I had always directed developer teams and used existing tools like Wordpress or Joomla when I was doing my own projects. The idea sounded challenging so I took a leap of faith, signed up for Coding Dojo, moved to California and it was the best decision I could have made.
Michael Choi, the founder was our lead instructor and he really delivered. Watch one live demo and it is clear he knows what he’s doing. I felt that after the first four weeks I had completely received a return on my investment being fully capable of building an enterprise level PHP application in CodeIgniter. With help from instructors Jay Patel and Andrew, within just eight weeks I was solving complex algorithms and had built a fully functional fitness application using PostgreSQL, express, AngularJS, and Node. JS which is deployed on heroku today!
By the end of twelve weeks I was able to develop a working application in three full stacks. I was skeptical to start and really proud of what we were able to accomplish in just three months at the Dojo.
Coding Dojo is really a special program that applies focus and real, working knowledge of how to program in code and use technologies that companies demand right now. It is obvious that the owner, Michael Choi cares deeply about his students and is driven by making a difference in peoples lives.
I highly recommend the onsite intensive program to any tech business owner needing to «upskill» in the technical department and to any budding software engineer wanting to hone their skills by developing real web applications in the latest technologies.
–Michael Weitzman
Managing Director, World Source Tech, LLC
Coding Dojo Graduate, Blackbelt 2015

Before coming to Coding Dojo I was a high school teacher in Hawaii. While working in the classroom, I had so many ideas for web applications but I had no way to make them a reality. Codecademy and Udemy only scratched the surface and didn’t teach me the bigger concepts involved in creating a fully functional app. I decided that I wanted to learn how to code in a more formal setting so I did some research on my options. Going back to a university was an option, but would take too long (about 3 years or more) and would be too expensive. I heard about software bootcamps and started to look at Seattle, since I knew it was a great city for tech. I chose Coding Dojo because the staff was so friendly, and I was impressed by the three full-​stack curriculum. Now that I’m graduated and have received my black belt, I have created multiple functioning apps and am confident that I can make many of my ideas into a full-​functioning product. Coding Dojo was a great environment to learn how to code. I have made so many friends and have such great aspirations for my future as a software developer!

I was extremely pleased with the way things turned out. I knew I would learn a lot and I’d be challenged, but I didn’t know I’d have the amount of confidence I do now. The support from staff and my fellow cohort-​mates was phenomenal and it was one of the best experiences of my life. The atmosphere was always positive and welcoming.
Three stacks in three months seemed ridiculous at the time, but I got there and I got there with a huge amount of confidence. Even at times when I couldn’t see the finish line, pushing through the struggle paid off twice as much. There was plenty of opportunity to grow as a person and of course as a developer.
The instructors were really great and they helped me through the stacks. They were really knowledgeable and were ready to answer any of the questions that I had. I was impressed by not only their wealth of information they could provide regarding the course material but also other resources that are outside of what to dojo has to offer on the course platform.
As a result, I will forever be confident as a web developer moving forward thanks to my time at the Dojo. I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone who may be interested.

I loved my time at the coding dojo. I learned how to learn which is the most valuable of all the skills I learned. I now have motivation and determination to learn other programming languages. There seems to be no obstacle that I cannot get over. I am looking forward to continuing my journey as a coder and learning many more technologies in the future. Now we are all equipped to take on any challenge and conquer and learn by struggling. Thanks coding dojo for the great time and the skill-​set to go to the next level of my career, life, and journey. I believe that the program will only get better as the years go by and more tremendous coders join the field. Despite the challenges and the tough moments or moments of discouragement I was trained to handle them and learn to put my skills to work and problem solving skills to work. Now when challenges arise they can be tackled and taken on without looking back and without thinking failure is final. When things don’t work there is always a solution that is waiting to be found.

I joined Coding Dojo because I ran into a wall when trying to learn programming on my own.
I was really excited about the idea of learning 3 languages in a short amount of time.
The environment that Coding Dojo puts students in, fosters collaboration and a lot of pair programming.
The instructors and TAs aren’t going to hold your hand through this program. You will have to be very diligent and organized with your time.
If you go into this program with finding a job and building a career as a developer, you seriously need to put the time in and forget about outside distractions.
Because all of the instructors and TAs went through the program, they were pretty good at answering questions about assignments.
Some of my classmates did not have any programming background, but by week 3/​week 4, they were caught up and comfortable with the language.
Take advantage of these hackathons and project weeks. During the short amount of time, you will learn a lot and reinforce what you know. You will also be exposed to the process and environment of working in a small team.
One of the most important things to remember is don’t get discouraged.